PROFESSOR ANDREW GEORGIOU Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Unlocking pathology data to reform healthcare General practitioners see 87% of Australians and
be alerted to immediately encourage at-risk groups
order hundreds of millions of pathology tests
to undertake the test, thereby reducing the risk of
each year—the (de-identified) results of which
cancer through early detection.
could serve as the platform for an informationtechnology-driven approach to healthcare reform. Pathology test data not only supports GPs in
Analysis of the data might also show when best practice guidelines are being overlooked. For instance, earlier research by AIHI reported a large
diagnosing, screening, treating, and monitoring
variation in Vitamin D testing among practices,
diseases—it can also be used to identify larger
suggesting a lack of consensus regarding Vitamin D
scale community or regional trends, more quickly
testing. With this trend identified, policy-makers
and with more depth than ever before.
could use the feedback to make appropriate
In a new project involving researchers from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at
adjustments. Until now, this kind of data—large scale,
Macquarie University, the de-identified data from
longitudinal in nature, reliable, and delivered
500 General Practices will be analysed to provide
close to real-time—has not existed. It will
near real-time feedback to GPs, practice managers
prove invaluable for the management of health
and health policy planners.
systems long-term, and, critically, during the
The data can be used, for example, to quickly
COVID-19 pandemic, where decisions need to be
spot trends in test ordering, enabling health
made quickly about resource allocation, control
professionals to act.
measures, policy development and community
Or, for instance, if the data showed that bowel
communication.
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cancer screening rates were declining, GPs could The Health Advocate • NOVEMBER 2020
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